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10 October 2009

Blattodelicacy

Of the 4,006 identified species of cockroaches, Australia has 428. I spotted this Northern Banded Cockroach (Cosmozosteria zonata)on Sweers Island, in the Gulf of Carpentaria. Definitely the most comely Blattodean I've ever seen. Australia has some of the world's smallest and largest, ranging from 3 to nearly 70 millimeters. The larger ones are sometimes mistaken for tortoises on the road.

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comments:

Laura,Beautiful scenery isn't.I once rode my dirtbike from Forbes to Cape York (by Burketown)in the mid eighties and i was given airial charts by Russell White.I saw the Morning glory when i woke up one morning from sleeping on a beach on the west coast of cape york.I called it the sausice cloud then.I remember telling Russell about it.The good thing on the pictures from Australia is that you don't see the bugs on them.Geoff& Nigel rings a bell too.Was that Geoff Sims(?)

What a ride that must have been! I'm willing to bet that things haven't changed much on the gulf in 20 years. And yes, it is beautiful. The Goeff in question is Pratt, not Sims. Thanks for your story.Cheers,Laura

hello laura - as a child i saw bazillions of cockroaches in the hosue we lived in. i developed a dislike for them because the man from the town council had to spray almost every week to keep them down. we were attached to a bakery and a restaurant. but when i see the variety in size shape and colour that are in other parts of the world, well my snse of them crosses over from that of "bad" or unwelcome to that of sheer amazement. cool picture. steven